The xplorer seems bigger ?? Maybe it’s just the dual rear wheels?? No idea but I love both of your vans and have based my search on your layout. Bed in the back and all. Your setup is so sweet
The Xplorer feels far smaller than the Islander inside, it's much more narrow especially near the ceiling. I much prefer the front living/bed area and rear bathroom of the islander, no question! 👌
awesome video justin. been trying to find an islander rv down here in the states to no avail. I am getting ready to put heat in my chevy camper van and was wondering if you could please do a video on why you switched from the dickinson propane heat to the wood heat? the pro's and cons of each?
OMG JUSTIN!!! I found an Islander (1989) near Portland that I can actually afford (once I sell my car so I’m in a bit of a hurry 😬) and so I’m rewatching this old vid now but OMG I WANT IT SO BAD!!!
I am Neils friend ,You are an inspiration , I am so happy to have found your channel , your show is my favourite show on the internet , I am in Ontario
+ROTARYCOMPTECH Dodge never made a diesel for vans, wouldn't fit anyhow. And none of the big three made four wheel drive vans, however it can be done aftermarket if you need it.
Well - I'm convinced. I want an Islander. Wonder what the Australian equiv is. Otherwise I have to get richer - commission u to get me one/ collectively do the design/layout - including converting to left hand driving - and give u an aussie holiday!! I just lurve ur stylish purple van! Ah - n so would my grand-dorter. Oh well - I can dream!!
+stew tube I think just did that when I said I always wanted the Islander, even when I bought other vans when I couldn't find one. The Islander was always my first choice, I just couldn't get one at the times I was shopping for an RV until now.
That looks like my 2000 American Cruiser......I also love the Chinooks but I never saw an Islander. I take it they no longer make them. i actually starting looking for something newer but I love my AC too much. I would love to see what you could do with her!
I know.....hey let me pick you brain. I have had mine to 3 mechanics...and they have done all those computer tests....let it run for hours and it never dies. They last couple of weeks though I drove it from Naples to Key West ....no problem. i do home care and once I got to key west it just ...like a light switch just turned....lie a light switch. Any thoughts.....its a 2000....there really isnt anything out there I like and unfortunately am not skilled like you. This is my only vehicle and cant believe noone can figure out whats wrong with her. :(
I can't understand what you're saying. It just turned? Turned what? On? Off? Lights? Engine? Lol...either way I'm no mechanic so I couldn't really help with anything of that sort. But the vans are the same as the pickup trucks, Jeep's, etc. Very common identical parts across hundreds of thousands of vehicles so is usually quite easy to work on em. Diagnosis is always the hard part...on any vehicle Reply ·
JustinCredibleTV Sorry I think faster than my fingers type. I was saying that the engine just stopped when approaching a stop sign. Will keep plugging along trying to figure out what’s wrong with her. Sooner or later it’ll get fixed. I love watching your channel can’t wait to see what you do with this Islander
Can you please tell me where I can get parts for my 96 Ram chassis Coach House. Is there aftermarket sites that have parts? Like window shades for example? When you customize your rigs what is your go to site for parts and accessories? I am from NS so need Canadian shipping too.
+Honey_the_Golden Bubbies stuff like that I don't go online, and I never replace RV stuff with the same stuff...I use things completely different. Like how I ripped out all the original curtains and put my own in. Curtain tracksband shades cut to fit are everywhere, even Home Depot. As far as keeping things like the originals, well most RV stuff is just RV stuff and it's the same brands of shades, lights, switches and decor you find in thousands of RVs and campers no matter what make it is. Try RV shops and Amazon if you need exactly the same types of systems I would guess ...
No doubt the Islander is a awesome design. And your Mods with the Purple, Black and Brass Are second to no one. The louvre on the Widows makes it pop. Good videos Justin.
Nice Video. I have a 1990 Islander that I'm in the process of restoring and mildly customizing. Seems that I have noticed that the front end springs appear to be a little on the soft side with a fair bit of body roll and a bit of drift in the steering more so than I'd like. Anyhow, the RV presently has a rear air bag suspension which I think helps reduce rear body roll somewhat versus adding rear wheel spacers. (Not so sure about that particular rear wheel spacer option as I get drastically differing opinions with some folks saying that it is unsafe and will lead to rear wheel bearing failures quite often if not something catastrophic when heading down the highway) So essentially I am now looking at installing "Timbren" brand front aftermarket bump stops which I am hoping might tighten up the front end body roll and handling. Any thoughts, as I know that you've owned several Class B's on the Dodge B350 chassis. Any suggestions or thoughts are appreciated. Have you tried the "Timbrens"? Seems like this might help but I don't understand all of the physics involved but they are relatively cheap and easy to install apparently versus other front end modifications such as installing a front end sway bar or heavier front end coil springs.Regards,-Jason
+RoxyJ01 Goldstream IS an Islander. The word Goldstream is just Islanders model name. Many are labeled "Islander Goldstream" right on the sides. They simply dropped the word Goldstream eventually.
I've been looking for an islander for a long while now but I've only seen 1 for sale (which was not in great condition).... any tips on searching for hard to find vans online? what websites do you frequent to search?
Hey Justin! First of all I have to say that I've been watching your channel for quite a while and I'm loving it. Thank you for doing this. I have a couple of questions if that's OK with you. I'm a new comer to Canada and I've been thinking (and dare I say dreaming) of living this way for several years now, even before I came to Canada. Unfortunately, back in my home country, RVs were simply not available for sale so I had no way to know how all those things work and now I'm scrambling to learn as much as possible. Currently, I'm living in Winnipeg, MB and finishing all the necessary qualifications to become a lawyer. So, here are my questions/concerns: 1) How realistic is it to be an urban camper in a place that has several months a freezing temperature. In Winnipeg, it can easily go below -40C. Are there things that need to be done to make the RV better insulated from the cold? What happens when you leave for work and the heating is off? Will I return to find everything frozen and electronics broken down? 2) As a possibly future lawyer, there is a huge chance that I'll be required to work in the Downtown area. What are my options to deal with it? Parking on the street is not an option whatsoever and rent a parking space is around 300$, and even then it's a parking space that will fit an SUV, not an RV. What's worse, I want (at least at first), live in a relatively big RV, because I really want a living space bigger than just a van (perhaps in the future, that will change). I really don't want to have an RV and a car. That would be ridiculous. Getting a trailer or 5th wheel is also problematic, since Winnipeg doesn't allow parking for big vehicles for more than 2 hours (and parking a trailer without the car in a Superstore's parking lot seems to me too brazen). Do you know any solutions for this problem?
I am not the guy to ask for that, as you live in a completely different world. We are lucky to even hit the freezing mark here, and that's why Vancouver is a haven for vandwellers. Sorry man, I have no idea about Winterpeg except that I wouldn't want to live in an RV there...
I hear ya. I'll need to start looking for an articling position next year, and I'm even thinking of moving because the winter here is too cold for RV dwelling and because there are almost no artcling positions here. Any thoughts on working in the downtown areas in a city, at least? That's probably the bigger concern of the two. The smallest RV that I've seen so far that I even remotely liked was 22feet long. :(
I've done many, many videos on this, most cities have a length rule for city streets, some are 21' maximum, others 20'. Each city sets their own rules and will ticket accordingly. You'd have to check your particular city. My advice I always give out is make sure your rig can fit in a standard parking space between two parking meters if you're gonna live in the city. Not just for legalities but also for being able to comfortably drive daily and park anywhere.
My city stipulated 23', but the by-law says that RVs can park only up to 2 hours. I have no idea if the latter applies to RVs under 23'. But that's not a real problem. In my city, there are huge parking lots for almost any store, except in Downtown. No one will say anything if you park 1 day at the edge of the parking lot of a Superstore, then the next day in the parking lot of Dollarama, the next day in the Staple's parking lot. If that fails, there are plenty of relatively remote industrial zones, where I'm sure I'll be able to park a whole truck for an entire day without anyone making a fuss about it. But I doubt that I'll be able to park a detached trailer in those spots. Simply, because it will attract too much attention. But, if I get a huge class A, then I won't be able to park it anywhere, when I go to work. So, I'll be forced to either get a car too, or use public transit. Both options absolutely defeat the purpose of living in an RV. Even if the by-laws do allow parking for RVs under 23' for longer, it won't help me in the Downtown area, since all street parking are restricted to 2 hours and cost money. The only available option is to rent a private parking space (which everyone does). But I haven't seen any such parking big enough to accommodate a big RV. I guess I'll have to check whether there are parking spaces in Downtown area that can fit at least a 22'-23' RV. It would make my life easier. Plus, if I have to rent a parking space anyway, I wouldn't have to relocate every day. I'll be able to just live next to my work.
+Xplorer Steve DIY lol nope, I already have a buyer who has pledged to beat anyone elses offer if and when I decide to sell it. Ain't planning on that for awhile though. ✌️
JustinCredibleTV You are the best RV salesman on RU-vid though. You sold me on my Xplorer. I believe you hypnotized camper van Kevin into his BJ cruiser if I'm not mistaken.
hey man, is this a good deal? It has 325k km on it tho, considering buying it in St Johns and driving it to Victoria Let me know your thoughts, do you think this engine has enough life left? Apparently, it is in great condition.. 3rd owner www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1382313273&siteLocale=en_CA&requestSource=b
+Expedite Travels A lot of the high quality class B manufacturers from that era went under as soon as Dodge stopped manufacturing the Ram vans. You can thank Daimler for that, they wanted to start selling Sprinters instead lol.
+Expedite Travels I'm with ya there. Fugly and expensive to repair oversized golf carts lol. I'd take a North-American designed and built Ram van over a Sprinter any day of the week.
